[Samilowe]

Hi everyone. I'm Sam, very excited to be the proud new keeper of an allotment in South East England, UK

Didn't get the keys until less than a month ago and it was very overgrown with grasses. We dug it over and sowed beans, peas, squashes, radishes..  They're all doing fine but sadly so is the grass, which is making a healthy return and is now a thick green carpet throughout the planted area

What can I do to eliminate the grass but keep my plants? Any advice gratefully received :-)

[arugula]

Hi Samilowe and welcome! I've moved this to the grow your own board where hopefully you'll get lots of useful answers to your question. Feel free to tell us more about yourself in Welcome and its helpful if you add your approximate location to your profile so that people can tailor growing advice.

[Elcie]

Hi Sam, welcome to the forum and congratulations on getting a new allotment it is so exciting isn't it!

The grass is going to be a problem but you can overcome it.  Unfortunately the most effective way to get rid is going to be to keep pulling it out and regularly hoeing the ground around your plants.  Pulling up what you see will obviously eliminate that part and hoeing gets rid of any bits you can't see.  It is a pain for a while and it is one of the biggest reasons that new people give up on their allotments.  But don't let it beat you!  Just keep perservering with it and honestly it will get easier the longer you have your plot.  There will always be weeds but nothing as bad as that first season.

Good luck and enjoy it!

[Samilowe]

Ah, thanks. I had a feeling that might be the answer but I was hoping for a miracle magic answer that might not involve weeding and hoeing! I'll just have to get on with it!!

Loving having the allotment though, been waiting over two years. Can't wait for it to really take off

[fatbelly]

Hi Sam, welcome to the forum and congratulations on getting a new allotment it is so exciting isn't it!

The grass is going to be a problem but you can overcome it.  Unfortunately the most effective way to get rid is going to be to keep pulling it out and regularly hoeing the ground around your plants.  Pulling up what you see will obviously eliminate that part and hoeing gets rid of any bits you can't see.  It is a pain for a while and it is one of the biggest reasons that new people give up on their allotments.  But don't let it beat you!  Just keep perservering with it and honestly it will get easier the longer you have your plot.  There will always be weeds but nothing as bad as that first season.

Good luck and enjoy it!

Thats good advice by Elcie.
Get the hoe out and it will get rid of the weeds and grasses eventually.
You will reap the benefit of your hoeing next season, unfortunately to many people get a Lottie (after waiting years) and then get down hearted by all the weeds.

Hoe, hoe and hoe again and you will see a marked difference this year an next.

[gillian62]

This is the second year I have had my allotment.  I got it half worked last year, and that half has certainly been easier weed wise this year.

I can't believe how long the roots of grasses and nettles are, and how deep dock leaves go down.  But it certainly makes a difference taking time to get rid of as much of these weeds as you can.

[Potty Plotty Lotty]

A word of warning: if it's couch grass make sure you get up all the roots and don't compost them!

Keep enjoying it and take it one step at a time.